Woolly Mammoth Discovery in Russia

An 11-year-old Russian boy has uncovered the most complete woolly mammoth discovered in over a century. The mammoth was discovered in Siberia and has been nicknamed Zhenya after the boy who found it.

Woolly mammoths once roamed throughout North America and Europe. They could grow to over 4 meters tall (modern elephants generally max out at 3 meters) and weigh over 500 kilograms. The best preserved fossils are usually found in Siberia due to the area’s cold climate.

It’s thought that Zhenya died about 30,000 years ago after an encounter with a human. The mammoth was a male aged about 15 to 16 years. The mammoth weighs well over a ton. It was brought to the nearby city of Dudinka and will later travel to both Moscow and St. Petersburg so that scientists can study it. Scientists say that this mammoth’s DNA is too far degraded for cloning, so, you will likely not see a mammoth in the zoo anytime soon.

In the meantime, you can still see the world’s only stuffed and mounted woolly mammoth when you visit Russia. It and one other preserved mammoth can be found in the Zoological Museum in St. Petersburg. Check out the museum for an enlightening and educational date with your favorite Russian lady.